New York will fine you with up to $10 000 dollars for this
New York has raised fines for littering in its parks, with penalties now reaching up to US$10,000. Mayor Eric Adams strengthens the fight against waste accumulation with new control and surveillance measures.
Since March 31, throwing trash in New York’s parks has become a much more expensive violation. The city’s Parks Department has quintupled the fines for illegal dumping, setting a penalty of up to US$5,000 for those who break the rule. In cases of repeat violations within 12 months, offenders will be charged up to US$10,000.
These measures are being implemented to reduce waste accumulation in green spaces, particularly in The Bronx, where the problem is most severe.
New fine for littering in New York parks
New York's mayor, Eric Adams, sent a clear message to those who litter in New York's parks, "The city of New York has always been after those who dump garbage illegally, but now we are taking a step more, if you litter our parks, you will be held responsible and be charged 5 times more".
The decision was made to improve the cleanliness levels in public parks and address the growing concern of waste accumulation.
The Bronx: The most littered district
The Bronx is probably the district most affected by the littering problem, with over 70% of 2023 fines issued from there. In 2023, more than 32,000 trash bags were removed from The Bronx's green spaces.
Bronx District President, Vanessa Gibson, has adopted a “zero tolerance” stance due to this, and one of her main priorities is installing surveillance cameras in several parks to identify perpetrators in real time.